A Thousand Springs
by Tollpatsch
Summary: Mio dropped to her knees and lowered her head to the ground in front of him. "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama. In all the years we have been married, I have never wanted to trouble you. This the first and last time I would dare." Her voice trembled and she gathered all her courage. "Please help me." Byakuya stood. "I cannot." [Pre-canon. OC/Byakuya/Hisana, with slight divergences]
1. Red string

**A Thousand Springs **

* * *

**One: Red string**

It was like any other spring day.

Mio watched the cherry blossom petals flutter in the air, some carried into the garden by a breeze. The pink blossoms matched her kimono today. She breathed in deeply. The air was heavy with humidity, telltale signs of incoming rain.

A gasp from beside her broke her from her wandering thoughts, after the droning of her grandfather's voice stopped.

"Thank you for this honour," her sister, a girl who looked about eighteen according to years in the real world, bowed her head down to touch her hands on the tatami floor. Her wisteria hairpiece tinkled with the movement. Mio watched from the corner of her eye. Despite the grateful tone of her voice, her expression was stony.

"It is fortunate that this union has been accepted, considering your family before you were adopted," her grandfather replied in the sort of tone that Mio secretly disliked—one that addressed her and dismissed her at the same time. Grandfather always talked like that to her sister, always bringing up her 'humble origins' from a lower-ranked noble family.

Well, she was _family_ now, what did it matter? Of course, she could never voice her discontents. Mio had a feeling that her grandfather was aware of her thoughts from his disapproving stares even though she said nothing.

"And young Mio. I have arranged for you come with me tomorrow. Make sure to prepare well and to impress them. Conduct yourself with the knowledge that you represent the Houjo family when you are outside." The clouds darkened the sky outside, and casted shadows over her grandfather's stern face.

She tilted her head down. "Yes, Grandfather."

"Good." He said as he picked up his teacup. This was a signal to leave. She rose to her feet, as gracefully as she could without looking like she was trying to escape. Only as she left the room did she notice that no one was waiting in the hallway. No servants.

Her sister was still inside.

She slid the door closed herself, leaving a small space.

Mio paused for a moment. Was she mistaken? It was clearly a dismissal, yet she was not called back in.

Looking around her, there were no servants around. Her personal maid, Tomo should be hovering somewhere but she was nowhere to be found.

Her sister was still inside.

She turned left into an alcove between the meeting room and the empty room next door, usually used as a shortcut by servants to ferry food in from the kitchens. Tomo always regretted telling her about the hidden paths the servants used and made sure to tell her all the time. It was not respectful or particularly honorable to eavesdrop.

Quietly, Mio crouched down, hidden in the darkness next to a cupboard. She could hear her grandfather speaking, but she couldn't make out the words. Maybe she should have left the door wide open?

No, too obvious. An amateur move.

A higher voice, her sister's, was more intelligible. Mio strained to listen, a silent shadow.

"…I greatly apologise."

"…dishonour…I know…stop meeting…"

Her sister's voice seemed to become softer, but more frantic. "But…for love…"

A lapse of silence. She held her breath in anticipation.

The sound of something—maybe a hand, hit the low table. Mio could hear every word her grandfather spoke this time. It was the first time she heard this sort of dangerous tone from him.

"Do not ruin this family, Chiharu." It was faint, but she heard sobbing.

Her heart sank at the realisation. Maybe the looming clouds she thought were rainclouds were actually storm clouds.

That night, lightning struck down one of the cherry blossom trees lining the Houjo family home. As a result, some other flowering trees caught fire and they were left bare of blossoms.

Spring was over.

* * *

Surprisingly, Mio slept well. The memory of hearing Chiharu sobbing through the walls still unsettled her, but not enough to ruin her good mood. Today she would finally travel outside the gates!

"My lady?" Tomo called from outside her bedroom. Mio sat up, stretching as her maid strode in holding a facecloth and a rather large wooden bowl. Curious, she peeked inside the bowl when Tomo set it down beside her.

She sniffed lightly, trying to name the flower's aroma. "Roses. From the greenhouse?"

"Yes, my lady." The servant knelt by her bedside, and carefully wiped her master's face with a face cloth soaked in rose water.

Mio smiled. "It's lovely. Thank you. Tomo."

Tomo always knew how to cheer her up. Unlike Chiharu, who was moody, Tomo was a cheerful, optimistic person. Her recent cheer could be because her younger brother had been accepted to study at the Spiritual Arts Academy. Apparently he had deferred because he wanted to earn some money for the family, which made Tomo very proud. Mio, by association, was also proud.

The servant girl was around Chiharu's age. She could be a bit older, but maybe that could be because she never seemed to rest. Tomo was always busy doing something for her.

Slowly, Mio reached out to pluck a stray petal from her chestnut hair. She put it on her small palm and blew.

The petal flew right into Tomo's forehead before floating down.

"Petal attack!" she laughed, turning sheepish when at Tomo's unimpressed expression. The servant cleared her throat and Mio prepared herself for the impending lecture.

"My lady," Tomo began seriously. "Today is an important day, where you will again accompany Houjo-sama as a representative of the Houjo family."

"You will be meeting very important people. And what is more important are their sons."

Mio loosened her sleeping yukata to allow her to wipe her back with rosewater. It was pleasantly warm, and the scent was calming. Still, it didn't keep her sarcasm at bay.

"…and their innocent, pure grandsons," she added. "Who is it today?"

The servant lowered her voice to a whisper. "The honourable Kuchiki family! Very, very, _very_ important people."

She masked a sigh by coughing lightly. Mio felt tired already. "I see."

Whilst she was distracted, Tomo took out a pair of small metal tweezers, inching them towards her face.

"What are you doing?" she tried to stand up, but a hand on her shoulder pushed her back down into a sitting position.

"Your eyebrows are looking rather unruly, my lady. It's detracting from your natural beauty," Tomo purred, her eyes like a cat's locking on prey. "This time, I simply _must_ tidy them up."

.

.

.

It wasn't as painful as Mio thought. Tomo said it was because she was still and not squirming around trying to escape like the last time.

She sat in her underclothes, peering into the mirror as Tomo deftly braided her dark, wavy hair. For some reason, Tomo always avoided the fashionable hairstyle trends set by the courtesans. She claimed that high-born girls shouldn't follow the gaudiness promoted by the women in the pleasure quarters.

Personally, Mio thought that there was nothing wrong with being a courtesan, but Tomo definitely had some fierce opinions about it. Showing off wealth was rather bourgeois, which she agreed was distasteful.

To match her youth— she was only fifty one, or around fourteen years old in the living world — her braids were gathered at the base of her neck. _Rather cute_. Mio liked it even more when two white camellias were pinned to her hair, accentuated by a smaller, pink one.

Next was the outfit of the day. For unmarried young women, a furisode kimono was a must. The long sleeves that hung down were impractical to wear, and Mio preferred the more casual komon, but obligations were obligations. Her duty was to present herself as an chess piece for marriage, for the family.

Tomo held up two different kimonos for her. A pale green one with pink and white camellias and a pink one with colourful camellia embroidery. Mio deliberated, going with the one that caught her eye first.

"The pink one."

She ran a hand over the chosen garment, noticing how each petal detail was sewn with care. This was yet another expensive one. She imagined an older woman sitting by a flickering lantern, sewing away on an empty stomach, slaving during the chilly winter nights to hand it into the shop for a fraction of the exorbitant price her family paid.

"Wait, Tomo. I want to wear the green one instead."

.

.

.

The journey was uneventful and boring. Usually, Mio would have been peering outside the carriage with wonder and asking question after question about the world outside the gates. Today, she left the curtains drawn as they traversed the roads of Seireitei.

Her grandfather, Houjo Tokimune remained silent, which was a relief. She did not want to seem petty by explaining that Chiharu had ignored her that morning and had one of her servants tell her that she didn't feel well. Nor did she want to reveal that she had listened on a conversation she was not party to.

To her surprise, her grandfather did not say a word to her until she was sitting in a beautifully decorated room filled with priceless artifacts. That vase displayed the corner of the room? That was expensive _Ming_ pottery, it matched the descriptions in her studies of the histories of the world of the living. The wooden display stand? Carved mahogany.

None of the decorations were ostentatious, however. She was just discomforted by the amount of historical artifacts in one room. She had never set foot in the ceremonial meeting rooms in her home, only peeked in when Tomo checked that the room was not being used.

Although Mio felt like a puddle of nerves, she remained calm when she was told by her grandfather to greet Kuchiki Ginrei. Raising herself from the deep bow, she locked her joints to slowly blink away the dizziness. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her internal panic, or the bead of sweat that rolled down her forehead.

She was always a little nervous when meeting very important people. The pressure was overwhelming. Kuchiki Ginrei's strong stare made her shiver. Not in a good way either, whenever Tomo smuggled in forbidden scrolls that made her giggle. Mio showed her sister once and it made Chiharu blush. She had asked Mio for the next scroll after a week, successfully inducted into her clandestine erotica club.

What Chiharu didn't know was that Tomo was part of a network — forbidden scrolls were borrowed from one of the daughters of the Fujiwara family, who had borrowed from a daughter of the Mori family, who borrowed from one of the ladies of the Sugawara family who owned a publishing house with a reputable public face and a clandestine one that published imaginative stories of all kinds.

Thinking of Chiharu made her grumpy again and Mio willed her worries away.

Ginrei addressed her grandfather. "Tokimune, your granddaughter has spiritual sense?"

_Pardon?_ This was the first time she had heard of this.

Grandfather Tokimune gave her a considering look. "Yes. I have been monitoring the growth of her reiryoku since her birth. She has been taking meals regularly."

"There is potential," Ginrei paused as a servant poured two cups of tea. She was not offered any. This was a good sign. This meant that she would be set free at any moment.

"Will you consider training her as a shinigami?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Mio waited, filled with trepidation. Maybe she wasn't expected to marry just yet, maybe instead of waiting for her white knight, she would become her own white knight? Just maybe…

"No," Tokimune took a sip of tea. White Jasmine tea, judging by the smell that wafted to her as she sat a step behind him to his left. "I've made arrangements with the Department of Research and Development to work on a limiter."

"I see. Urahara is reliable with inventions."

"Indeed, he was recommended highly by Yoruichi-san."

Mio lost interest once names she did not know were being tossed around. When was she going to be dismissed? Or was this a test of patience? She was unsure, so she dared not to fidget. The moments she sat with her legs folded felt like years. About a hundred passed until she a female servant slid open the door to the garden, bowing whilst remaining on her feet. The shift of her grandfather's eyes towards her kept her in place.

"It would be a good time to stroll in the gardens," Ginrei stated, looking directly at her.

It was her chance. "I agree, Kuchiki-sama." She bowed to him first, then to her grandfather to excuse herself. She stood up slowly, keeping her balance despite the ache in her legs and walked to the outer pathway towards the gardens. She was being led to view the gardens to view the flowers or a grandson or two.

Mio had no idea what kind of chaos she was walking into.

.

.

.

The female servant stopped by a corner turn, and gestured for Mio to keep walking. The spot she stood in probably gave her a view of the whole area, she guessed as she walked past.

_A chaperone, then._ So it was an esteemed grandson she was going to informally meet.

The garden was empty. A wooden sword lay abandoned on the grass and not a soul was present. Although the sword was out of place, the flowers still bloomed beautifully. She eyed the red camellias near the small pond in particular. She could probably write a poem if she were feeling inspired enough.

Mio sat down by the edge of the outside hallway. Quickly checking around her, she daringly let her legs hang of the edge, making sure her white tabi socks remained clean. She straightened her legs outward, leaning back on her hands for the greatest stretch of the week.

The female servant from glided towards her, setting down a tray of snacks next her. Mio thanked her before she turned to leave her to her thoughts. She examined the offerings: green tea in a ceramic mug, and several types of dessert lay enticingly on a small plate. Strangely, there was a banana, glass milk bottle and a glass of water. Strange, but healthy and safe choices. She left them untouched.

Mio was not here to play safe.

She spotted a red bean mochi and immediately popped it into her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, she evaluated the taste.

_Delicious. _

A butterfly flew by as birds twittered overhead. She closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. She sipped at her tea. It was brewed wonderfully.

Someone was yelling.

It was far away, but Mio could hear someone yelling. They were getting closer, but all she could see was the empty garden and the expanse of wall. Suddenly, silence reigned supreme.

Maybe she was hearing things. She adjusted the folds of her kimono ever so slightly, allowing for a little more room for her to swing her legs. Her grandfather hopefully wouldn't notice. If he did, she would blame it on the desserts she ate. Thinking of desserts, she reached for a sakura mochi this time.

Just as she was about to close her eyes to relish in the taste, the yelling resumed again.

"_Demon_ cat!" someone shouted, sounding clearly aggravated. Distinctively male voice. He was much nearer now. Still, she couldn't see anyone.

She blinked. There was a woman crouching on top of the tiled garden wall. Correction: there was a laughing women in a shinigami uniform standing on the wall.

Mio sipped her tea to keep calm. Suddenly, the woman appeared next to her and it took all her willpower at present and for next year to stay still. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she made eye contact with the sharp, glowing eyes. Like a cat's.

"O_ho?_ Who do we have _here?" _

She inadvertently shivered, her shoulders feeling heavier then usual.

"Hello, I am Houjo Mio," she bowed her head to the woman who was wearing a similar white haori that Kushiki Genrei wore. She was committing no faux pas today. "A pleasure to meet you…Captain…?" she trailed off, unsure of how to address the woman chugging down the bottled milk.

"Yoruichi." She sat down on the other side the snacks, taking a red bean mochi and eating it in one gulp. It was a good choice.

"Yoruichi-sama." The slight twitch of a slender eyebrow revealed that she did not like the honorifics. Mio made sure to note it down, however, she could not do without them.

Not only was it improper, honorifics helped her build a wall between her and other people. It protected her. Only people she truly trusted, she would address by name and allow them to address her in the same way.

Yoruichi leaned back on her elbows, lounging. "Tokimune's kid?"

"I am his granddaughter," Mio smiled, covering her teeth with a long sleeve.

"Hm." The older woman hummed lowly for a few moments before getting to her feet. She grabbed the banana and disappeared before Mio's eyes. The next second, she was standing on the wall again. Mio watched Yoruichi reach under her garments - somewhere near her chest - and pull out a a long red hair tie.

_That_ was something from the forbidden scrolls.

"_Yooohoo_, slowpoke. Did you get lost on the way home?" she called out at someone over the wall. A hand appeared, gripping the top. Another shot up to grab Yoruichi's ankle. She hopped over it nimbly as a boy climbed up.

His hair was a mess, and he looked very frustrated. Mio sipped her tea, watching from her front-row seat.

The boy, who was a little older than she was (but not by much), rested a knee whilst balancing on the ledge next to the older woman. He was out of breath and muttering something Mio could not hear. Tensing, he jumped towards Yoruichi but she escaped again, appearing the middle of the garden.

"Byakuya-boy! How forward you are, jumping straight into my arms!"

"I would _never, _cat demon! I was tagging you!"

"Oya? Weren't you trying to get your hair tie back?"

The boy named Byakuya was the supposedly esteemed grandson of Kuchiki Ginrei, head of the Kuchiki clan and Captain of the Sixth division. This was the person she was supposed to meet? Mio stared at the teenager standing on top of the wall of his garden, sizing him up.

He was good-looking, but his eyes seemed a touch insane. She would have preferred if he were a few decades older. A calm, cool and collected older man was more of her ideal.

For some reason, Byakuya was fuming.

She looked towards the 'reason' as she sipped her tea, now waving a banana in the air. "You're struggling to breathe because I have your _banana? _How immature."

Yoruichi peeled it and took a big bite.

"Don't you think your banana is kind of…_small?_"

Mio choked on her tea the same time Byakuya screeched in rage.

The game of tag was back on.

.

.

.

The fun only lasted for a few minutes until Yoruichi dropped the hair tie in her lap and ended playtime by disappearing with a quick wave. Mio shyly raised a hand to wave goodbye, but by then she was already gone.

She looked at Byakuya. Their eyes met briefly, before they look away from each other.

A rustling sound behind her caught her attention. The chaperone was back.

Mio put down her mug on the small tray next to her. She thought about standing up, but she wasn't wearing any shoes. So she resorted to smiling her most lady-like and proper smile at him, close-lipped to be polite.

"Hello, Kuchiki-sama."

"Hello," Byakuya replied politely. He walked a few steps closer, unsure whether to ask what she was doing in the garden.

As quickly as she could, she lifted her legs to tuck them underneath her hips, once again sitting formally. She bowed. "My name is Houjo Mio. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I…I am Kuchiki Byakuya. A pleasure to meet you as well." Byakuya bowed back. "I…apologise for allowing you to see such unsightly actions."

His placid turn caused her nerves to resurface. Mio bowed again. "No, no…you must have been preoccupied whilst training. I am at fault, I should have made my presence known earlier."

"No, I must apologise to you."

"As a guest, that was impolite of me."

"Of course not! As you are a guest, it was entirely my fault."

It was ridiculous, this to-and-fro of meaningless apologies. It was so ridiculous, she forgot about her manners and laughed openly, forgetting to cover her mouth with her sleeve. Lightly wiping at her eyes in case of any stray tears, she laughed softly again.

_When was the last time I laughed? _

No matter, it felt good to laugh like this.

Mio held out her hand, the red hair tie dangling in the air. "Would you like your hair tie back?"

She looked up at Byakuya, who was quiet for some time. Mio did not know him well enough to read his calm expressions. He walked a few steps closer to where she sat.

"…Yes." He held out his hand in response, a respectable distance below hers.

The ends of the red string brushed his outstretched hand. She dropped it in his palm.

"Thank you."

For a moment, they were connected by both ends of a red string.

* * *

**Notes**

Wow. I typed this strange chapter non-stop today since I kept thinking about this character. Mio is different from the normal, straightforward-speaking characters I usually work with — she is much more reserved and disciplined. It's funny how this flowed out so organically, I was going for a rather complicated tone with Byakuya but…am I imagining it or there's a bit of chemistry with young Byakuya?

It doesn't matter, I am dead set on my original plans. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this — any suggestions?


	2. the cage shuts

**A thousand springs**

* * *

_Mio held a small clear gem up to her eye, admiring how it glittered in the light. _

_"__This is beautiful," she murmured, still entranced. She tried to catch her sister's attention, but the other girl did not turn her head. Chiharu was awfully concentrated on the contents of the large jewelry box in her lap. _

_The merchant sitting across the low table smiled at her. "My lady has a keen eye!" He rubbed his hands together. "That gem is a cut and polished diamond. Anything with embedded diamonds would shine! What would my lady have in mind?" _

_"__Hmm." Mio put it down back into the velvet-lined display box laid out in front of her. Each little square in the box held a single gem. There were about 48 to choose from. She picked up a pink diamond. "I'm not too sure yet."_

_"…__Might I suggest adding them as accents for a classic comb, or as part of the larger kanzashi pieces? You would be the paragon of style at social events!" _

_She held a little magnifying glass to a dark blue gem. This might be a good combination with the diamond. "What's this one?"_

_"__That's a sapphire. Another elegant choice, my lady." _

_The overbearing praises were starting to grate on her nerves. However, Mio couldn't outwardly show her displeasure at him. She hid a sigh behind her long sleeve. _

_"__Onee-sama? What do you think?" Mio looked over to check on Chiharu, who had remained worryingly silent. Chiharu usually enjoyed looking at the different things visiting merchants tried to sell them. Today she looked uncharacteristically glum. Her eyes were downcast since the merchant handed her the box. _

_What on earth was in that box? Was it that interesting? _

_She gently placed her small magnifying glass down before she leapt up and moved to stand behind Chiharu as quickly as she could. Peering over her shoulder, Mio stared at the object inside. _

_"__What's this?" _

_There was only one thing in the box. A small carving of a dragon in green jade, tied onto a piece of long cord men used to attach to their belts. A good luck amulet. _

_Mio frowned, looking towards the merchant. "I think there has been a mistake. Onee-sama isn't going to buy jade jewelry for men. Anyway, I think this is used." _

_Chiharu flinched. She must have been too offended to speak out. Mio glared at the merchant. "Why would you put second-hand goods in front of her? Onee-sama is a lady of the Houjo family. Are you trying to disrespect her?" _

_The merchant waved his hands in front of him and he bowed. "My apologies, my lady! Your older sister knows this dragon jade piece, very intimately. I thought she would want to see it again." _

_"__Really?" _

_"__Onee-sama?"_

_Chiharu nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. This was strange. She had no idea what was happening. Mio felt like she was missing a big part of the picture. Her sister wasn't explaining anything and that greasy merchant watched her cry with no expression at all. _

_Seeing her older sister cry unsettled her. Mio lay a hand on her shoulder gently, trying to comfort her. She sighed, pinning the merchant with a hard look. _

_"__I'm tired of this." She exchanged a look with her servant, Tomo who was standing near the door of her sitting room. The servant silently handed a small silk pouch to the merchant, smiling courteously at him. _

_"__That is a thank you for your troubles, but we will not be needing your services any longer." Mio dismissed him. He packed up quickly and left. _

_Good riddance. _

* * *

Thinking back, that incident was only the beginning of her troubles.

* * *

**Two: the cage shuts **

The afternoon tea gathering was something Mio had been looking forward to. She had painstakingly made the pressed flower invitations herself and wrote out the messages in neat calligraphy to invite the noble ladies she usually socialised with.

Mio felt restless when she stayed at home too long and this event took weeks to plan when everyone's schedules were constantly changing from sudden meetings with possible matches — it _was_ the season to get engaged, anyway.

"Tatsumi-san was such a _bore,"_ Sugawara Kimie, the daughter of the family who owned the largest publishing house in Soul Society complained as she waved a hand in the air. Her pink jade bangles clinked together crisply, the latest fad. "He's the type of man that would have a heart attack if he finds out about my side business."

She cast an eye around the group of young women sitting in a circle on the plush tartan picnic rug that she managed to buy off a soul reaper who obtained it from the world of the living. Mio had received the gift with great pleasure. It was the perfect gift. The girl loved having tea outside in the mild, sunny weather.

"Not a word, ladies. You're all accomplices." Everyone nodded. The erotica was safe.

A lull in the conversation formed as everyone collectively sipped at their tea. Someone stepped up to play the devil's advocate. "He seems like a gentleman to me?"

"…But! All he talked about was his bonsai! Definitely a bore!" —she lowered her voice conspiratorially — "definitely boring in bed as well."

A chorus of giggles resounded. Mio didn't join them. Instead, she smiled politely as her mind wandered. She also wanted to join in on the gossip, but thoughts of her sister plagued her. That morning, she visited Chiharu who had locked herself in her room for two weeks already.

_What was wrong with her? _

Ever since she saw that jade amulet the merchant showed her, Chiharu had been prone to fits of weeping. Mio could her hear her when she stood outside her room.

Then, she overheard grandfather scolding Chiharu after suddenly telling them she was getting engaged to someone she hadn't met before. Grandfather wasn't the type of person to do that. He allowed Mio to meet prospects before suggesting them as partners, although she hadn't accepted any yet. The only one that she thought was a nice match rejected all proposals since they wanted to marry for love.

Stupid man, that only made her like him even more.

Her thoughts suddenly drifted to Kuchiki Byakuya.

_Hmmmm_.

He seemed kind, earnest and hardworking. Too impulsive and quick to anger. Naive. He might improve as he matured, but it was to early to tell. He was…alright, she supposed.

"I saw Fujimura's wife outside Sasaya's, that desserts shop Mio-san loves."

"Sasaya is a good choice, I love the sesame mochi there." Mio caught her eye and they exchanged smiles.

"…Well, it was rather interesting…"

"Do tell, Kimie-san!"

"She was wearing _such_ a heavy _diamond_ necklace. Quite attention-grabbing, now that her husband is out of the picture. Maybe it's from a secret _lover_."

"What happened to her husband?"

Mio fanned herself with a fan with painted cranes as she rerouted her train of thought. It was hard to concentrate on the chatter, when all she could think about was Chiharu. Fed up with her weeping and moody fits, Mio stormed into her room only to find it empty. Apparently she was taking a a stroll outside.

Hidden behind her vanity mirror, she found a pipe. Not the kind for tobacco, but a very special kind of pipe for something much worse. Opium. Poppies.

Chiharu told her that she had _quit_.

What a bold-faced lie it was! She believed her, word for word! Chiharu was the smart one, the clever child always praised by her tutors. Mio could never compare intellectually.

"…caught with a large amount of poppies. You know, Central 46 is cracking down on that."

She focused on the quiet conversation. "What kind of punishment will he receive?"

Kimie's last statement was like a sudden shower of icy water. She laughed when she caught Mio's gaze.

"Don't look so worried, Mio-san. Nobles are above such petty laws," the sarcasm was clear in her dry tone. "He'll bribe his way out."

She relaxed her shoulders minutely. _Thank goodness. _

_"__Ah…_but if they find out he's smuggling it into Seireitei, that's a capital offense," Kimie mimed slitting her throat with a slender finger. "Instant death."

Everyone burst into gasps, surprised yet incited by the harshness of the punishment. It was the most exciting and dreadful thing in their caged lives of wealthy relaxation.

"How horrid!"

"I believe that is needed."

"To make an example out of the nobleman, that is indeed dreadful."

Mio looked down into her tea cup as they chattered. A stray sakura petal floated on top of the tea.

_Chiharu was always the smart one, anyway. _

* * *

"Hello, onee-sama?"

Once again, Mio stood in front of Chiharu's bedroom door. She could her the rustling of papers, but otherwise there was no response. So she was ignoring her.

"Chiharu?"

The papers stopped rustling. "…Go away."

Mio crossed her arms, unmoved by rejection. "It has been weeks since you locked yourself up. You are rotting away in there."

Silence.

She tried again, raising her voice. "Did you hear me? Chiharu, I said that you are rotting away."

"…Please leave me alone."

She was being so difficult and moody. "I will. I am going out again for a check-up. On the way back, I will make sure to bring back some of your favourite sweets, despite how nasty you are being."

No answer again._ Ungrateful woman, _Mio huffed as she turned away and left for her next appointment.

.

.

.

Mio stared at the blonde man with narrowed eyes as he reached out to adjust the lumpy leather chair she was seated on.

He hummed as he bumbled around the room, opening cupboards left and right and depositing strange machines on the desk next to her. She eyed the cords, then at the loose straps on the chair suspiciously.

"I'll have to strap you down today," he muttered to himself as he peered at a clipboard. Perturbed, she tried to peek at it but he put it down, face down. The contents remained a mystery.

The white robes she was asked to change into felt scratchy against her skin.

"Urahara-san, have you considered cotton instead of this sack?" she asked, at the end of her patience. She had been sitting in this chair for the last hour as he talked to himself and tinkered around.

"Ah, they were part of a buy one get one free set," he nodded to himself. "I couldn't resist!"

She made no comment out of respect for her grandfather, who held this man in high regard. At the very least, Urahara Kisuke was an honourable captain of the Gotei 13, there had to be some kind of deeply hidden brilliance there.

It just needed a trained eye that Mio didn't have.

Kisuke picked up his clipboard again. "Have you been sleepwalking the last week?"

"No. I seem to be sleeping too much this past week," She folded her hands and adjusted her posture. "Afternoon naps, to be specific."

"Hm…" He reached for one of the strange contraptions placed on the desk beside her. Three little black pads conjoined by a wire. "I'll need to measure the different pulses together."

She held out the underside of her wrist cautiously. It somehow felt exposing to show a man her bare forearm, but she could handle this with dignity.

Kisuke shook his head.

"…not my wrist?"

The man erupted into a grin. "You'll have to excuse me." He motioned to the left side of his chest, where his heart was located.

Her heart was also located on the left side of her chest, although it felt like it was about to leap _out _of her body. Her mind raced —a major difference between male and female bodies other than reproductive organs was that one had a chest and the other had a _chest_ built completely differently!

_Brea—_Breathe. Her face was hot when she held her hands to her cheeks. Mio looked up at the clueless, smiling man.

"If-if you do this, my grandfather will not be pleased," she said meekly.

"Your grandfather asked me to help you, though?" He replied as he handed the sticky pads to her. He motioned to his heart area again. "You can stick to under the robes yourself. I need to get this new machine started."

Oh. He meant for her to put it on herself.

.

.

.

"…and that's it for today!"

Mio exhaled in relief as she stood up. "Thank you, Urahara-san."

He scratched the back of his head with a dopey smile. "No, no, thank _you_."

She bowed to express her gratitude, as it was the polite thing to do. On her way out, a familiar woman was waiting outside.

"Hello, Yoruichi-san," Mio greeted the woman leaning against the wall with her arms folded. She had expressed her displeasure at being called by her family name during their first meeting, otherwise she wouldn't dare address the head of a great noble family so casually.

Yoruichi grinned and waved at her as she pranced into the laboratory. Something good must have happened for her to be so cheerful.

In the next moment, all the dots connected and Mio had to stop walking. What, exactly was that extent of _their_ relationship? Two captains, alone in a laboratory…

_How scandalous. _

Sadly, Mio did not have the opportunity to pursue the truth behind any scandals as her social calendar filled up with afternoon teas, lunches, hiking up hills to admire the autumn foliage…the usual rush of outings before the weather cooled down for winter and everyone sat underneath a kotatsu for warmth.

In the last week of autumn, an invitation arrived bearing the crest of the Kuchiki family. Apparently, it was written by Byakuya inviting her to tea but Mio doubted that he wrote it of his own free will. It must have been at the behest of his father, or grandfather.

She decided on the a violet furisode with bright purple wisteria flowers as her outfit for the afternoon. For formality's sake, she asked Tomo to style her hair up the traditional way for her favourite wisteria kanzashi to dangle on the side of her head. She loved the way it swayed gently as she moved.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Byakuya was not swayed by how lovely her hairpiece was. He made no comment about it when she sat down opposite him. Usually, she was praised for her efforts.

Mio silently noted to herself that he wasn't moved at all by her appearance. Telling her that she was a 'beautiful peony', as 'graceful as a lily' and a 'vision to admire' did get old.

No one needed to reassure her anyway, she _knew_ she was wonderful to to look at.

A servant silently served them tea and left the room promptly to stand outside. The sliding doors her open, but the lack of chaperones inside with them gave them the illusion of privacy. She waited for him to speak.

Byakuya stared into his lap. He was wearing a plain navy kimono, which looked striking on him. Although he was seated, it was clear he had grown taller since the last time they met.

He coughed lightly into his hand. "Houjo Mio-san."

"Yes?"

He bowed his head lightly. "I would like to apologise to you again for my previous rudeness. I was training and I had forgotten that I was to meet with you."

She cast her mind back to their first meeting. It was very impactful and he was much more vibrant when he was yelling at Yoruichi. Now, he spoke like a wooden puppet.

Mio smiled. "It was no bother. Please do not apologise. Taking your training seriously is very important as well."

Did she sound like a puppet as well?

"In-indeed." Byakuya sipped his tea. Mio also took a sip, pleasantly surprised at the fragrance.

It was quali-_tea_.

"The tea is lovely," she commented instead, brushing her joke aside.

"…Yes."

His non-committal response irked her. Was this going to be how she spent her afternoon, exchanging empty pleasantries with a child-man who wanted to be anywhere but in the same room as her?

The adults had left to discuss business in another room. Mio could afford to be cheeky when no one was watching her, or when she was alone with Tomo and Chiharu.

"It's quali-_tea," _she voiced out loud as she gestured to the teapot for emphasis. It felt liberating. Mio smiled again, a genuine smile.

Byakuya looked up, surprised. He didn't laugh at her joke.

"That was a joke," she added. He still remained quiet.

She looked down as the embarrassment kicked in. Tomo would have loved her pun. "You were supposed to laugh."

"Pardon me, I did not realise —_ah_." He stopped talking and looked at her thoughtfully. He opened his mouth, about to say something before deciding against it. The struggle was very visible according to his contorting facial expressions. One side evidently won and he _finally_ spoke.

"My grandfather has informed me…that we are to be engaged."

Something sank in her gut. Her wisteria hairpiece suddenly felt very heavy on her head.

She had not heard of this. All her cheer was sinking, sinking…

The door to her gilded cage had been shut completely. Mio tried to smile, but her face had become wooden again.

"You seem unhappy."

She immediately refuted him. "It…it just feels," —she tried to find right words —"quite sudden."

The air between them felt suffocating for her.

Byakuya glanced at her quickly. "This may be forward for me, but …were you hoping for someone else?"

Mio thought back to a hot summer's day. She was standing outside of Sasaya amidst the rowdiness outside. Red beans. Little adventures in the alleyways and the rooftops. A blue silk peony in her hair, the same shade as his eyes. She had it especially made to be the same colour.

That was already the past.

He took her silence as she was lost in thought as an affirmative.

The vibrancy returned to his face, his eyes alight with determination. Byakuya leapt to his feet. "I shall talk to grandfather! Something can still be done about this!"

She managed to grasp the edge of his kimono sleeve over the table as he spun around. "Please wait a moment, Byakuya-san."

He stopped in his tracks and looked down into her eyes. _Was that too casual of me?_

Mio blushed. "I apologise. I must correct myself…Kuchiki-san." She let go of his sleeve.

How she wanted to curl into a ball underneath her blankets and never come out!

Byakuya sat down and motioned for her to take her seat as well. "No need, Mio-san."

She sat down, tucking her knees under. He was looking at her again, probably waiting for her to explain herself.

"Byakuya-san, you have misunderstood," she took a breath to steady her voice. "I think that you are a strong-willed person with an admirable sense of justice. I have no complaints."

He coughed lightly in his hand. "I…see."

The tips of his ears were a light shade of pink. It made her smile behind her sleeve. The atmosphere felt light again and Mio searched for a topic to continue the conversation.

"…How is your training going?"

He made a funny face. "…Terribly."

"How so?"

"A demon cat keeps bothering me."

They shared a knowing look and the conversation picked up easily. It wasn't too horrendous, spending her afternoon talking to this man.

Maybe being married to this man in the future wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

**Notes**

_I had to cut the chapters into two, since it seemed to flow better this way. This is a great, ominous line to end on. What do you think of Mio so far? For the eagle-eyed, the 'tragedy' tag applies not only to Byakuya. It's going to be a very, very, rough awakening for her. I'd love to hear your thoughts so far! x_


	3. dare to dream

**A thousand springs**

* * *

_"__Mio."_

_"__What is it, Chiharu?"_

_"__Do you have a dream?"_

_Mio sat up from her lounging position on the tatami mats. She brushed any stray crumbs off her richly embroidered crepe silk sleeves, a light orange with bright maple foliage. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, shining from the camellia oil brushed into it everyday. To look presentable for her informal marriage meetings, part of her hair was held back by a comb with gold painted maple leaves. Her younger sister was a youthful picture of luxury. _

_Those men must have been pleased when they saw her._

_"__Hum. I do not know," she answered flippantly. She sipped on her tea. _

_"…__Won't you think a little harder?" _

_Chiharu glanced at her own violet kimono with it understated floral patterns. She thought of her dour face reflected in the mirror every morning. She preferred plainer designs, as when she was growing up — they couldn't afford anything too expensive. But now…now even the material of the clothes she wore now were far superior. _

_She had fought her way to be acknowledged, for Houjo Tokimune to see her potential out of all her cousins. An orphaned child passed around distant relatives could only dream of the finery she wore now. He was looking for a role-model for his young granddaughter. She could definitely deliver on that._

_An orphan for an orphan. _

_Intelligent, polite and obedient. It was like playing a role, but Mio did not need her. She was already a natural. A little girl born into a life of luxury, surrounded by servants and who had no worries in life. A girl who only called her 'older sister' for the public._

_She probably looked down on her, this lower-ranked orphan suddenly being taken in. If she were in Mio's shoes, she would definitely have. So she sank deeper and deeper into the box that closed her in until it became her. Not a semblance of poor, orphaned, weak, Chiharu was left. _

_"__Maybe…in case of a miracle…a shinigami," Mio smiled to herself. "That seems like it would be good." _

_Chiharu sighed. "Just because you are missing Shiba-san, doesn't mean you have to follow him to the academy."_

_"__I am not following him! I…truly dream of becoming a shinigami." _

_"__Yet you have never picked up a sword." _

_Her sour mood pushed her further to provoke Mio. "He's not going to marry you. And Grandfather didn't approve as well." _

_Mio huffed and grabbed a sesame mochi to nibble on, deigning to ignore her provocations. That was one of her good points, her even temperament. Mio was slow to anger - Chiharu couldn't recall the last time she saw her lose her temper. It would probably be a catastrophic when she finally exploded. Not anytime soon. _

_Chiharu tried asking her again after a few minutes of heavy silence. "Then, apart from your shinigami daydreams, do you have any…aspirations?"_

_She watched the younger girl ponder as she chewed, then swallowed. Mio pondered, a finger to her lips. Suddenly, she smiled. It wasn't one of her usual smiles. It didn't reach her eyes. _

_"__Live to bring honor to the family. Obey the law, obey your grandfather, father and husband," her smile disappeared and her countenance was serious. "Dreams…I have none of my own choosing." _

_Chills of realisation crept up her spine as Mio spoke her next words, ones that truly illuminated the life she had to live now, the life she had sought. _

_"__We are not allowed to dream, Chiharu." _

_She had to stop herself from protesting. Instead, she kept a calm smile on her face, trying to reflect Mio's dignity, her tired acceptance of her fate. _

_From one hell to another. From a fiery pit of greed into an cold dark, room. Any errant flames were snuffed out. Snipped from the wick. Quietly. Ruthlessly. _

_Never. No one would chain her. _

* * *

**Three: dare to dream**

It was decades ago, when Mio was size of a small child barely reaching her grandfather's hip, on a humid summer afternoon when she first saw a _shinigami._ She had been dining in a private room with her parents on the second floor of their favourite restaurant in the first district when a loud crashing sound resounded in the distance.

"What was that?" her father asked the masked guard standing in the room.

"A hollow, sir. A team of shinigami have been pursuing it from the second district."

Immediately, she stood to stand near the open window. A huge monster, resembling a centipede was writhing as it knocked away buildings, clouds of debris masking the dark blurs leaping in and out of it. _Shinigami_.

"Are we a safe distance away?" her mother pulled Mio back into her seat, away from the open window and any flying debris. Her eyes were still glued to the chaos in the distance as she sat in her mother's lap.

"Yes, madam."

"Goodness me, we should have stayed in Seireitei if this sort of dangerous thing happens outside," the older woman trapped her daughter in her arms as she spoke to her husband. Said husband raised his arms in defeat.

"It's an adventure, my lovely wife."

"It is _dangerous_. What if something happened to Mio?"

"You are most lovely when you are overprotective, my wonderful wife."

"Oh stop it," she playfully swatted at her husband. Their conversation turned flirtation flew over young Mio's head as she tried to make out the figures in the clouds of dust.

A figure in white appeared and in with one mighty swing of his sword, cut the hollow in half. A hero, in a billowing white haori. The characters for 'eleven' stood brightly against the light fabric.

Her eyes shone in admiration as the group of soul reapers cheered. A hero!

_Just_ in time.

Needless to say, her parents did not take Mio with them for Rukongai adventures after witnessing the defeat of the hollow nearby. That decision saved Mio's life. Four years later, both were killed when their carriage was thrown off the mountainside by a wayward hollow.

The heroes didn't come for them. Sometimes, heroes can't make it in time.

_Maybe you should try being your own hero? _

The seedling of a dream sprouted and took form. Maybe she should be the hero herself, if no one would save her.

A shinigami is a hero, right? They cut hollows down, they maintain the balance between two worlds, they are strong. If she were a shinigami, she could travel to the ends of the worlds, she could run as fast as the wind…

_Just you and your sword. Freedom. _

"No, you're idealising us too much," Urahara Kisuke shot her dreams down with a single sentence. "Not all shinigami are heroes."

_But you fight monsters!_

"It's a job."

_You protect Soul Society. That in itself, is noble. _

"It's not as noble a job as you think it is. Sometimes, you can't save everyone."

Mio sat back in her seat, still unconvinced.

Kisuke sighed. "Do you understand what sacrifice means? True sacrifice? Do you understand how heavy the responsibility of someone's life is?"

She met his eyes directly, unfaltering. "No."

"Then, tell me. Tell me the real reason you want to be a shinigami."

He saw through her so easily! Mio swallowed, suddenly nervous. She managed to whisper it.

_I want to be strong_. Free.

"Don't confuse strength with brute force. You can't overpower your problems as a solution."

Kisuke smiled, his eyes inexplicably sad. "Mio. Becoming a shinigami doesn't make you free. It's just exchanging your cage for a bigger one. From your family to Soul Society."

Her burning protests died down as she thought about the meaning behind his words. She cast her eyes down to her feet. She had been naive. And like the young girl she was, the pressure of her engagement, the end of all her outlandish dreams and her youth…the finality of it all that her marriage will bring her, although it was to a faraway future…

_It makes me sad. _

She buckled under that pressure and cried about it for the first time. Once she started, she couldn't stop. The tears wouldn't stop.

"But…but what do I do, then?" she managed to say through her hiccuping.

He pointed to his heart.

"Please…do not say that true strength lies in my heart."

"Nope!" he laughed, bringing the finger up to his temple, tapping it lightly. The brain. The mind, where endless possibilities dwelled. "Here. You'll find the answer here."

She wiped the last of her tears away and tried to return his smile. "I see." The light returned to her eyes as the answer dawned on her. Mio laughed.

"Are you telling me to outwit my problems? That _I_ decide whether I am free or not as a state of mind?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?" He spun away from her to tinker on his machines. The infuriating man.

"Thank you," she whispered as softly as she could. A light breath, he couldn't have heard. His back was turned to her, he would not have seen her lips move.

Kisuke smiled.

* * *

The same infuriating man disappeared from Mio's life just as swiftly as he came. The brilliant man who was the embodiment of an innovator, who made the reiatsu stabiliser she wore on her arm and effectively saved her life, was _gone_.

The news of his exile reached her whilst she was having breakfast with her grandfather. Chiharu was also there. She had finally graced them with her presence upon news of the cancellation of her engagement and she sat there, sipping tea. Infuriating woman, her moods were as turbulent as the weather.

A masked man in a violet uniform kneeled outside in the garden. As he recited the news, her grandfather held a stony face, revealing nothing. Only once when the informant left, probably to spread the news, did he heave a sigh. He lowered his chopsticks and massaged his wrinkled brow.

Mio picked up a small piece of grilled salmon, eating it every so slowly. She raised her gaze from her meal.

"Grandfather?"

He sighed again. "Trouble is brewing."

Urahara Kisuke, exiled for heinous experimentations on his comrades. Shihouin Yoruichi, removed from all her posts for aiding him. Several other captains have also disappeared. The Gotei 13 were in complete disarray because of the power vacuum. It was chaos, apparently.

It was shocking. How could someone like Kisuke do this? Unfathomable.

"It is unfortunate," she picked up her chopsticks. "I quite like Yoruichi-san and Urahara-san."

Tokimune folded his arms, a small smile lightening his stressed face. "As do I."

Another, smaller part of her hoped that this wasn't the end for them. The childish daydreams within her was still there, and she thought that it would be nice if she could see him once again in this lifetime, just to tell the man that she was grateful for his words.

They had meant the world to her.

* * *

Such explosive news, Mio wondered how Byakuya was taking it. Despite his grumblings and outbursts of anger, he had been close to Yoruichi. So she sent a missive to the Kuchiki family, spinning a tale about 'seeing the wonderful gardens and flowing rivers'. It worked, because she received an invitation shortly after lunch, signed and sealed by Byakuya's father, Soujun.

It was rather surprising that he was there to receive the missive, let alone respond to it. Maybe the rumors about his health were true.

She munched on a slice of an apple as she read it over. Tomo stood behind her, tying a ribbon to her hair to keep it out of her face. It fell down her back in loose waves, a relaxed, youthful hairstyle.

"How do I look?" Mio stood up and twirled. She was trying something new today. Her friend Kimie introduced it to her, as she had an uncle who worked as a shinigami in the first division. Apparently he was quite high up in the hierarchy.

School girls in the living world also wore _hakama_, and it was her golden chance! If she couldn't wear the real uniform, she would make do with a different version. She wore the dark violet hakama with pride, gushing at how comfortable it was. It paired with with the cheerful red arrow-patterned top, the sleeves fluttering like kimono sleeves.

"You look like a shining example of youth, my lady," Tomo, as expected, gave her the lip-service that she paid her for. Such a gem.

Mio struck an outlandish pose, her hands on her hips and a stockinged foot pointed like a dancer's. "I am pleased to hear that. Are the special shoes ready?"

"Yes. I have the instructions about these so-called 'laces' memorised. I shall tie them for you—"

"Teach me. A school-girl should know how to put on her own shoes."

"Pardon me, my lady, but you do not attend school?"

She pursed her lips. "True."

.

.

.

Mio all but pranced onto the Kuchiki grounds in her new shoes, a hamper hanging on her arm. 'Laces' had confounded her and Tomo for a good thirty minutes but they had managed to solve the challenge.

To keep her shoes on for as long as possible, she entered through a side door that lead directly to the training grounds. The servant leading her opened the wooden doors and bowed, to signal their departure.

"Oh!" She had almost forgotten. "Please wait."

Mio reached into her hamper and pulled out a big glass jar filled with honey citrons. The hamper lightened considerably and she handed it to the servant with a smile.

"This is part of the first batch of yuzu tea from our orchards. I'd like to express my gratitude to Kuchiki Soujun-sama with this small gift, if it is alright."

The maidservant nodded and took it out of her hands. That was a job well done. It had been fun to pick the fruits and watch the cooks make the marinated citrus pieces. A spoonful of yuzu and a cup of hot water was always soothing.

She spotted Byakuya immediately, pausing mid-swing with his wooden sword. He turned towards her once she stepped inside. Mio bowed in greeting once she was a few steps away from him.

"Good day to you, Byakuya-san."

Although evidently confused by her sudden entrance, he bowed back politely. "Good afternoon."

Mio lifted the lid of her hamper to reveal a box wrapped in cherry blossom printed cloth. "I've brought lunch."

He raised his eyebrows. "Thank you."

"Would you like to take a break to eat with me?"

Byakuya stared at her.

"…yes?" Unable to voice how surprised he was, the affirmative response became a question.

She unabashedly watched him wipe his sweat with a towel, and decided that yes, he was _indeed_ very handsome. However, she took personal offence to his naturally long lashes and dewy cheeks. It was unfair that he would have such a lovely flush when he trained — he had no use for it!

_Unfair._

He looked to her. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Yes."

As they walked to sit down on the porch for a relaxed lunch, she hid a dark smile behind her hand. Bringing him food from the kitchens was also a great way to try to gain his trust before she was chained to him via marriage in the distant future, but Byakuya did not need to know of her ulterior motives.

It was a simple lunch of rice balls and cool barley tea, easy to eat when in the middle of training. Mio handed Byakuya a hot towel and he thanked her as he wiped his hands. The light scent of jasmine wafted towards her. Even the hand towels were scented here! Once she returned, she would make sure to ask for the same to be done at home.

"_Itadakimasu_," both of them murmured.

He reached for a spicy salmon rice ball first. She went for her specially requested flavour.

"What is the one you are eating?" Byakuya asked as he eyed her rice ball.

Mio smiled. "Wakame and bacon."

"Does it taste alright?"

She shot him a subtle affronted glance. "It's a delicious combination of two of my favourite foods. Wakame and bacon are a great pairing."

The unmoved expression on his face annoyed her. They ate in silence as a warm breeze ruffled her hair. Prolonged silence meant that it was time to begin her mission. She decided to be as direct as she could without being discourteous.

"I heard the _news_ last week," Mio said casually. "About the captains," she added, just to clarify.

Byakuya continued to eat, finishing his second rice ball. Graciously, she offered him one of her special ones.

"A rice ball for your thoughts?"

He hesitated for a brief moment, but ultimately accepted her offering. Another bout of silence settled as he ate and Mio wondered if she should have just stayed at home. They had never had any deep conversations apart from polite small-talk. Overstepping boundaries was a risk she should not have taken today.

Or ever.

But, what was wrong with trying to get to know the man she was supposed to marry? Once she ascertained his character, she could work on how she could work around it. Jumping into a marriage blinded about appearances would result in any noble woman's demise. One mistake and he could make her life hell.

Mio sipped her cold barley tea. It was bitter.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

.

.

.

Luckily, every insurmountable wall had a crack. The dam to his thoughts finally broke down.

"To be frank, I am disappointed."

Mio nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"To throw everything away so easily," Byakuya clenched a fist. "It's…it's _unthinkable!"_

Once he started, it seemed as if he couldn't stop.

"She did not think about her position as the head of the family and…and of her division, these are serious responsibilities! What does she take being the leader _for_, to throw it all away for a _criminal_!"

Something roared within her. She wanted to defend Urahara Kisuke, but she knew that he had been sentenced with solid evidence from Lieutenant Aizen, one of the most trustworthy members of the Gotei Thirteen. But it was difficult, trying to reconcile the 'criminal' with the man who had helped her.

Mio took a deep breath. "She did it for her friend," she said softly.

She took in his stunned face as he stopped his rant. "Wouldn't you help your friend if they were in trouble, Byakuya-san?"

"I—!" he cut himself off and turned away from her, tensed. For some reason, he couldn't answer her question. Strange. She tried to think of a reason why and the obvious answer leapt out at her immediately.

"You…don't have any friends?" she realised aloud. Byakuya bristled, his face red with anger.

It made sense, for the heir of such a noble family be bereft of friends. Alone.

"I apologise if I have offended you."

"Don't apologise if you don't mean it!" he snapped at her, temper flaring again. Like an impulsive child. He amused her. His vibrant outbursts made her smile genuinely, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I am truly sorry."

"No, you are not."

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"Yes."

"_No_."

So it became an impasse. Mio tapped a finger to her chin in a show of great contemplation. "Hm. I will have to fix this in order to prove my sincerity to you."

Byakuya twitched, probably because every cell in his body was also shaking in angry refusal. "Fix what?"

She smiled, a cheeky lilt in her voice when she spoke. "Guess _I'll_ have to be your friend, then."

Silence.

Mio continued to speak, ready to convince him that it was a good idea. "If you were were ever in trouble, I wouldn't mind helping you out."

"…I don't need your help."

"Sometimes, making decisions are difficult," she prodded him verbally. "I'll help you out in a flash."

"I can manage by myself," he muttered, all the fight in him disappearing.

"Of course," Mio agreed easily.

"…We're not friends," Byakuya said, turning away.

Mio looked at the pink tips of his ears and smiled again. He could say thousands of refusals, but she wanted to be his friend. She wanted to know more about him. What did Byakuya like, what did he hate, what was he good at…his flaws? His weaknesses? How was training? What did he do for fun?

What inspired him, did he have any goals?

_Do you have any dreams?_

Piece by piece, she will collect them slowly.

* * *

**notes**

That's the prologue done! Three chapters of introduction, letting you see the early dynamics and trying to flesh out Mio as a character (trying to work out Mio's star sign). Wonder what you think?

I'm also trying to give you a picture of what it's like to be a noble in Soul Society. Politics and all that jazz is going to be a big part. And I've planned Hisana's appearance in this story, so don't fret! It's going to be a rough ride for Mio.

All thoughts are appreciated x


	4. the bell tolls

**A thousand springs **

_"__You married. _

_It's like a death note_

_From far away."_

_— _Takayanagi Shigenobu

* * *

Good weather called for a good mood. And most importantly, good food.

Mio was on her way to Sasaya's to purchase enough for an immense sugar rush. The autumn breeze that rustled the veil attached to her round hemp hat cooled her from the long walk. The hemp rim protected her from the sun's rights and the pale veil sewn around the rim hung down to her knees, obscuring her face.

Tomo walked behind her, her face uncovered. Even if it were covered and her mouth gagged, it wouldn't stop her from delivering much needed gossip to Mio. "Apparently, your fiancé insisted on 'working his way up' himself in the Sixth division. He has refused a promotion, instead remaining as the fifth seat."

"How earnest." She didn't see the point in this idea, held by a great many people, that a shinigami needs to be worthy of a higher seat. A promotion was a promotion. Why not accept?

"He received a commendation from the First division for his performance on the last mission, Mio-sama. Are you proud?"

"I guess." She wanted to shrug as her answer, but that was not ladylike.

The two women walked the peaceful streets, until they reached an intersection. Mio stopped in her tracks to marvel at the autumn foliage. She stretched out a hand to catch a falling maple leaf when the sound of carriage wheels carried over as it turned the corner at rapid speed.

Oh no. She turned and met the eyes of the panicked driver. He did nothing to slow down. She recognised the emblem decorating the vehicle. Shibukawa. A noble family she dared not to offend, ranked just under the five noble families.

Was this how she was going to die, being run over by a carriage right before she was supposed to get married? She tried to step back. Her ankle twisted as she put weight on it and she lost balance, she felt herself fall…

Maybe this was for the best—

A hand grabbed the collar of her kimono and pulled her back quickly as the carriage rushed past her. Her face at been so close she could see every gnarled detail of the wood!

"Don't space out." She immediately recognised his voice. Something twisted within her and she strained her face to smile.

"Thank you, Kaien-san."

"S'alright. It's no trouble." Shiba Kaien crossed his arms and stared her down. "But…Shibukawa? Did you do anything to make that guy angry?"

She shook her head. "I have not. His wife, Hatsuyo, is a good friend of mine."

He frowned, unable to recall her face although he must have met her.

"She played the koto during my birthday celebrations…around a decade ago," Mio offered.

"Ah, _her_."

"Yes. I wonder how she is doing. I haven't been able to see her much recently." Hatsuyo had essentially disappeared from the social scene ever since she was married. She had only caught glimpses of the woman, petite and dark-haired, walking behind her husband like a ghost. Like she was fading away.

"You shouldn't."

Mio was taken aback. "Pardon?" Was he telling her what to do? How _dare_ he.

"I mean…both Shibukawa and his wife. You should keep your distance from them," Kaien said slowly, evidently trying to find the right words. As if he had to censor himself. But why does he need to do that?

His shinigami uniform caught her eye and the answer leapt to her mind. "Shinigami investigation?"

"I can't say." _Stingy_. Everyone knew that the head of the Shibukawa family was involved in some shady dealings in district forty nine, scandalous rumors ranging from the the pleasure women and drug trafficking to the underground groups. It was an open secret, but the noble families had turned a blind eye, as it all took place far away in the districts. Out of sight, out of mind.

He was as gruff as she remembered him to be. They hadn't parted on good terms the last time they met. However, he hadn't run away at the first opportunity, which was a good start. She looked behind him to see if Tomo was still around, but the servant had hidden herself away to give them privacy.

A mischievous idea struck her. Mio tapped her chin with a slender finger. "Oh? Well, if it is no trouble, won't you escort me to Sasaya's? I'm still _so_ shaken from that close brush with death. I'm _terrified._"

Kaien sighed. "Stop using that tone, Mio."

"_Aww_, what tone? This is how that newbie spoke to you last time."

"_Miyako_ doesn't speak like that."

A first-name basis? Mio turned away from him to hide how quickly her smiled dropped.

"I see," she replied coldly.

She hated that woman. She had everything Mio longed for. Wanted. Desired. She touched her face, contorting into something ugly, something she could never show Kaien. Immediately, she relaxed into a passive expression when she turned back to him.

"Won't you join me for tea, for the last time? And congratulations on becoming lieutenant," she smiled, her eyes welling up. _Don't cry, you can't cry, do not let the tears fall._

You can't cry. Not now.

"You see, I have something to tell you." Her next words made her feel like she was swallowing charcoal. It was probably the colour of her soul anyway. Impure. Ugly as it was twisted with jealousy.

Mio met his gaze. Taking a long breath, she let the silence draw out for just a little while longer.

"I am getting married."

Just a little longer. _Please_.

.

.

.

"So? Who's the guy?" Kaien leaned back into the cushions of their usual booth in Sasaya's traditional desserts shop, right at the back next to the window. He propped an arm up on the back of the seat.

Opposite him, Mio perched on her seat with perfect posture. She took a slow sip of her tea.

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

He snorted. "Him? Seriously?"

"Grandfather arranged it himself."

"Your _Gramps?_ That old man?" Kaien tapped his knee rapidly. "Is he going senile?" he muttered under his breath, but she could hear him loud and clear. Rude.

"Byakuya-san is hardworking and passionate. Refined and polite," she paused, trying to find more redeeming points. "An exemplary nobleman."

_Everything you're not, _was left unsaid. It hung between the two like a blazing lantern during the night.

She avoided his eyes and took another sip of tea. They descended into a pit of silence once again, one drinking her tea and the other staring into his cup. Gradually, the loud lunchtime banter around them quietened into serene afternoon murmurs.

Kaien broke the silence once his tea turned cold. He reached for something hidden within his sleeve and placed it onto the table in front of Mio. It was a familiar folding fan with a delicate blue tassel. From her memory, once opened, there should be a pretty picture of rolling ocean waves…vandalised by her embarrassing calligraphy. She had written something so positively hideous, her ears burned at the thought of Kaien seeing it.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "This is probably…yours."

It was definitely hers, as her name had been carved into the handle years ago. A curious idea popped into her head.

"Did you keep this fan…a possession of a respectable young lady, on your person at all times?"

"What?"

"I mean, that is a little strange, no? Why would you hold onto a _young lady's_ fan for so long?"

Kaien turned pinker than the salmon she had for breakfast. "Well…"

She hid her smile behind a sleeve. "Could you be one of those frightening people who enjoy themselves — oh, how unpleasant! Doing _this _and _that _with a young lady's fan?"

"For the love of Soul Society, Mio, don't get started—"

"So it is true! Maybe the hollows you are fighting should be the strange monster that lurks within you after all!" she explained with a dramatic finality, spreading her arms like a star actress accepting applause after a moving soliloquy.

Kaien, despite his spiels on the importance of _heart_, had inferior imagination, so he was not moved. "What does that even mean."

She sighed. "You know…"

"_What_. I don't know."

"Aren't you a genius, Kaien-san? You'd be able to figure it out yourself," — Mio smiled faux-sweetly as she caught Tomo approaching from the corner of her eye. "My apologies, but it seems that our time is up."

"Thank you for returning this to me," —she reached for her fan and by force of habit, moved her wrist to snap it open with a flourish…but this was stopped by a panicked Kaien. His hand had shot out to grip hers.

"W-wait! Don't open it yet!"

Unfortunately, it made her even more curious. She thought back to her atrocious writing hidden within the fan's folds. He must have read it already. Her heart quickened. _He must have read it! _

He let her hand go.

She wanted to force the fan open right then and there, but this was not the place. Nor was it the right time. It never was the right time.

"It hasn't been maintained, so it might break," Kaien said. The words were empty to her ears. Both of them knew it was a terrible excuse. But if both of them accepted it, then even lies could become a fleeting truth.

Looking at the fan in her hand, it _did_ look worn. Fine. He won this round. This last round.

Mio thanked him again and bid him goodbye. It was ever so casual, saying goodbye over her favourite desserts. He had smiled at her as well, one that was much more genuine then her own.

That night, alone in her room, she opened it carefully. On one side, she had written a single question.

_Do you ever think of me? _

She turned it over. There was a response.

_I think of you always. _

Mio cried herself to sleep. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

* * *

**chapter four: the bell tolls**

_"__It walks the sky, cloudless._

_clear: the moon alone"_

—Seisensui

* * *

"I apologise for the delay."

Mio bowed to Byakuya, not a hair out of place. It was the reason for her lateness to this sudden meeting at the Kuchiki residence. She had been summoned by her grandfather early in the morning, whilst she was still asleep.

He nodded. "It is fine."

She peered at him closely, noting his tight demeanor and the slight furrows between his brows. Grandfather must have gotten under his skin whilst she was taking her sweet time getting ready as part of her petty revenge at being woken up. Mio had purposely ignored the the urgent summons — she took a leisurely bath, washed her hair, ate a delicious breakfast, strolled around the lake, drank tea, called Tomo in to style her hair…there was _so_ much to do.

She could't help it. She was a busy woman and she loved to pamper herself.

Byakuya still wore his hair up with the telltale red hair tie. He probably had a drawer filled with them, somewhere. He felt her stare.

"Is there something the matter?"

"No, I was just thinking that you still wear your hair like that."

"Yes. It is convenient."

Shinigami lifestyle must have been hard. It seemed to have mellowed his explosive temper. The boy had become a man in the years he spent in his grandfather's division. Byakuya wore the uniform well, not a stray thread in sight. Her sight fell to his hip, where he carried his sword.

"If I may be so bold to ask you a personal question, Byakuya-san?" she asked softly as she followed him through the maze of corridors.

He nodded, giving her permission to voice her question.

"…What is the name of your _zanpaktou_?"

"Senbonzakura."

Mio imagined a scene of a thousand cherry blossoms. "Beautiful."

Byakuya's features softened as he smiled. He was much quieter than she had remembered. It made her feel like she was talking to a stranger - did one change so much in their years as a soul reaper? Her thoughts drifted to Kaien, and her mood immediately soured.

Yes. They did.

She didn't like the stretches of silence between them. She missed the chatty youth he had been before. Where had he gone?

"You know, my name is written with '_mi'_ as the character for beautiful and '_o'_ as cherry blossom," she said. She winced inside once she said it aloud.

_Silly Mio, of course he knows how to write your name! _

It wasn't the most intelligent thing she had said, but her husband-to-be was forgiving, bless his fragile heart.

For a split second, the Byakuya of old times resurfaced. "A thousand of you would be great fighting force."

Mio laughed behind her patterned sleeve. She would miss her long, hanging sleeves once she was married. No one would survive a thousand clones of her, not even those humungous hollows!

"…With that much power, I might even be able to slice a single bamboo shoot."

Her smile quickly faded. So he hadn't really changed at all. The nerve of him.

Byakuya walked a few paces in front of her, masking his expression. _Amateur_.

* * *

The conversation between her grandfather and Byakuya could be heard from the next room, where Mio sat, playing _Go_ with his father.

"Wait, I need to rephrase that last sentence. Young Byakuya, write it again."

"Yes. honourable grandfather."

"Ginrei may be comfortable with that, but I would prefer for you to be more…casual with me."

"Of course! I understand, grandfather."

Across from her, Soujun placed a black stone down after much deliberation, capturing one of her white stones. She narrowed her eyes. _Good move. _

She could counter this and continue with her strategy in the long-run, so it wasn't anything to panic about. He had decimated her in the last Shogi match when she was learning the rules, but this…Go was _her_ turf. Mio had never been as good at studying as Chiharu was, but tea and strategy games? They were much more interesting then reading obscure haikus.

Poems about emotions were a waste of time.

"Don't you think it's ironic?" Soujun asked her as she picked up a few white stones. She didn't quite understand his question.

He gestured to the room next to them with a vague wave of his hand.

Ah. So he was referring to _those_ two. She placed a white stone down.

"The marriage is in a week's time, yet Byakuya is already writing a letter of divorce."

Mio bowed immediately, stammering because of her nerves. "I…I deeply apologise for my grandfather's demands! I, erm…I am sure that your son is a wonderful person, and we would never think of offending you, Byakuya-san, or the Kuchiki family in any way."

She received no response, so she lifted her head to see Soujun's expression, expecting one of his normally gentle smiles. He wasn't smiling. Instead, he was appraising her. Measuring her value, analysing her character, trying to see if she would be a worthwhile addition to the Kuchiki family, she guessed.

He suddenly laughed, a merry sound that brightened the atmosphere in the room immediately.

"…Soujun-sama?"

"Ah, yes," he wiped the corner of his eyes with a handkerchief - the same one she had embroidered for him and Byakuya and Ginrei last year! How lovely of him to do so.

She wondered if Byakuya ever used it.

"There is no need to apologise. Your grandfather treasures you very much and we understand that, do not worry Mio-chan. He wants you to have a place to return to, if you ever feel like leaving. Not many granddaughters are adored as much as you are."

Mio blushed. Drafting divorce letters were common, but in the case of 'marrying up' into the main branch of one of the five noble families, it was extremely rare. Especially when the wedding had not happened yet. Grandfather tended to baby her much more than Chiharu, who tended to have a wild streak. There was also the 'blood-related' part, but it did not mean that he loved Chiharu any less.

She was proud to have a grandfather who valued her so much. It was because he cared so much, that he refused to accept Kaien. But the past was the past. Mio was a woman who looked forwards, not back.

The conversation picked up again as they leapt from topic to topic, the _Go_ game long forgotten.

"Your grandfather has been boasting about your business acumen."

"He is jesting, for sure."

"Not exactly. It was _your_ involvement in the pharmaceuticals factory that helped the project succeed."

"I am not particularly knowledgeable about medicines, so I consulted with Dr. Kurotsuchi."

"With Captain Kurotsuchi?" Soujun tried to imagine the two sitting in a meeting room, or in a laboratory, discussing medicine production. No image came to mind, it was too alien for him to imagine.

Mio smiled. "Yes. I am an official patron for the the Research and Development Institute."

"Oh? Is there a particular reason for your interest?" Usually, noblewomen donated to initiatives such as soup kitchens, shinigami bursaries, winter clothes for children…and the like. Research and Development was a unique one to support. Soujun didn't even know that the institute was accepting donations — even though he had heard of complaints of it being under-funded.

She smiled, as if recalling something. "Giving back, I suppose."

It was only right. Instead of hosting soup kitchens that lasted for a week, innovation could be for the betterment of Soul Society. She touched the device strapped on her forearm, hidden under her wide sleeves. It was only right to pay back your debts.

* * *

Farther west, in district forty nine, a woman stepped out in the dead of night. Red lanterns swung overhead in the breeze. The streets were empty, too empty for the district that never slept. Too silent for a place of midnight pleasure.

She cast her eyes around and found a lone carriage lurking in the alleyway across the street. A shadowy hand beckoned her over.

It was an old man, holding a raggedy scroll and a brush. Another figure stood beside him, sword glinting in the night. Her heartbeat quickened and she flinched when they turned away from her. She let out a short breath.

"Name?" the old man asked.

"Hisana."

He peered at the scroll clutched in his wizened hands. Moments passed and her heart was about to fall out of her mouth when he finally spoke again.

"You're on the list. Pay up." He stretched out his hand.

She was not going to be swindled out of her money again.

"If I'm on the list, then I've paid already."

Beady eyes stared back at her. "You're the one who did the detour. Extra fee for extra people. Be grateful for Lady Hatsuyo's bleeding heart…helping wenches like you."

Hisana cast her mind back to her visit to to the cages, where they kept the young girls. She hadn't found her sister. Neither was she able to help any of them. It tore her apart inside, but she couldn't. She had clawed her way out of this hell by herself. Another person would be a burden — but now, _now _that she was free…

She had to find her. After all this time, she could bear the burden. She couldn't take the guilt anymore.

"There's no extra person. Just me."

He clicked his tongue, and spat at her feet."Get in then, _whore_."

Not anymore, she thought to herself. _I'm free, now. _

She ignored his unpleasantness and hopped into the carriage. Several other women stared back at her. In the relative darkness, she couldn't make out their faces. Tentatively, she sat down in the corner closest to the cloth-covered entrance, feeling the whole frame shake as the carriage started moving.

_This was it_. She did it. Freedom. A better life was waiting for her.

Optimistic thoughts lulled Hisana into a peaceful sleep.

.

.

.

Peace never lasted long.

The jolt of the carriage woke her up. She could smell smoke. Hisana opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim light in the small hours of the morning.

However, it was not morning yet. The other women also crammed in the carriage with her had undone the ragged cloth covering the back and were staring, open-mouthed at something in the distance.

What she had thought was the 'dim light' of morning was actually the light from a blazing inferno. District forty nine, the district that never slept, was on fire. Red flames instead of red lanterns. Her own personal hell was burning to ashes.

Coughing, Hisana wrapped her blanket around herself tighter. She burned the scene in her memory. For now, she had outlived the death and suffering.

For the first time in decades, she smiled. A _real_ smile.

She coughed again. It really was burning.

_Good._

* * *

**notes**

Writing young Mio makes me sad at how much she grew up and restrained herself (or became duller) once she realised her 'role' as a noblewoman. I think I'll be exploring themes of freedom and identity a lot throughout this story (on top of family, friendship, etc). I've been listening to the 'Life is like a boat' ending a lot and for some reason it's much sadder than I had thought it was when I first heard it.

And Hisana has entered! It's not revolutionary, but I hope you like how I portray her! I paid attention to nuances of her character and what I gleaned from canon. I'd like to flesh her out in this story and especially Byakuya's transitions from explosive teen to the highly disciplined 'exemplary nobleman' we see in Bleach. So canon does happen - I'm sticking as close as I can but I'm also picking and choosing. Ultimately, though…if you want a little line from a future chapter, do read the summary since I've changed it!

Mio also goes through development — mostly downs, to be honest. She's my character, I can do whatever I want…I might have gone overboard with her flaws, but that is exactly why I feel it is so easy to like her. In terms of fun tidbits… Mio and Hisana are as different as night and day.

(Are people curious about anything? I'm happy to answer any questions you might have).

Let's all cry when the tragedy comes. x


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